Electric welding-tool.



G. L. THORNTON.

ELEcTRxc WELDING TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED OCT 19, I916.

indented J 2? my? rlll|%| UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

enonon L; THORNTON, or nun'r'merou, WEST vinomm.

ELECTRIC wELnme-TooL.

' Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

Application and October 19, 1916. Serial No.126,584.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. THORNTON, a citizen of the United States of America, and aresident of Huntington, county' of Cabell, State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Welding-Tools, of which the following is a full and clear specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive hand or manual tool for holding the -electrode used in electric-welding processes, and the invention consists ofcertain novel features of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawingFigure 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a vertical longitudinal section of a tool embodying my invention.

In the drawing, a designates a handle of wood or other insulating material, said handle being hollow throughout its length and being at its forward end screwed on to the externally threaded end of a copper tube 1). Extending into the handle from the rear end thereof is the conductor 0 which is attached electrically to the rear end of the tube 7) by means of a suitable screw coupling (Z. In the tube is adapted to slide acopper rod 6, which is notched at its forward" end to engage the welding rod f, which rod rests in a notch 9 formed in the tube near its outer end, the arrangement being such that when the rod 6 is pressed outwardly, the rod f will be clamped inthe -notch, while when the rod is drawn inwardly the rod f will be free to be disengaged from thevtube by passing out through the notch.

The rod 0 is normally pressedoutwardly by means of a coil spring h confined within the tube b between a pair of wooden or other insulating blocks i, the. inner block resting against the screw plug d and the outer plug being normally pressed against the inner end ofthe clamp rod 6.

To withdraw the rod 6 to release'" the weld- :ing rod 7, I provide an angular thumb lever j, pivoted between a pair of ears is formed onthe tube 6 and connected by means of a link Z to alug m fastened to the rod e at a point distant from its rear or inner end,'th e lug m being adapted to.work' .in a slot n formed in the tube 6. To withdraw the rod 0, from contact with the welding rod f, it "is simply'necessar'y. to press the free end of lever 7' toward the handle, this being readily accomplished by means of the thumb of the samehand that grasps the handle a in ma-- vof connection with the tube.

nipulating the tool, thereby enablin the toolto be readily handled with one leaving the other hand of the operator free for other purposes.

By connecting the tube 6130 one end of the handle only, it will be seen that the graspin part of the handle, for the most part, wi be kept cool enough to enable the operator to continuously handle the tool without discomfort. By extending the conductor cinto the handle a considerable distance before it is connected to the tube b, and by using a conductor smaller in diameter than the interior diameter of the handle and also having the rear end of the handle open, I avoid and,

abrupt bending of the conductor at its point i of connection with the tube during the handling of the tool and thus greatly prolong the life of the conductor, it being evident that if the tube b were extended en- 'tirely or substantially through the handle,

the handle would not only quickly .become 'too hot to hold, but the conductor would be subject to short bending at the point ofconnection and would therefore soon become so weakened as to burn out at or near the point By arranging the spring it back of the clamp rod 6 and mounting it between two heat-protecting blocks 71, it will be observed that the spring will be prevented from becoming so hot as to destroy its temper, whereby the life of the spring will be greatly prolonged. By making the tube b and rod 6 of copper, I avoid v all the troubles due to the welding of the rod f to the tool; where the welding-rod r'asp; ing devices are constructed of we dable metal, a great deal oftiouble has been experienced by reason of the rod welding to the tool, thereby rendering it troublesome to dislodge the rod from the'tool; these troubles, as stated, are avoided by constructing the roigraspingdevices, of non-weldable metal, such as copper.

Having thus described'my inv" ntion, what I claim-is: a

1. A tool'of the'class set forth, comprisirig a handle hollow'throughout its length and open at its rearend, a tube attached to the forward end of the handle and carrying welding-rod}- grasping devices, and I a conductor extending through the handle from the rear and connected to the rear or inner end of said tube at the forward end of the handle, said conductor being smaller in diameter than the interior diameter of the I 1,'211,ooe

10 in the tube forming abutments for said spring, and devices for drawing said rod in- Wardly against the action of said spring, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

GEORGE L. THORNTON.

Witnesses:

G. J. RAU, 1 W. J. Worms. 

